The Rogers State University Cheerleading team won seventh place honors at the National Cheerleader Association’s College National Competition on April 13 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
This is the first time the Hillcats Cheerleaders, which consists of 17 cheerleaders and one mascot, participated in the national competition. They competed in the Coed Intermediate division that included 17 schools, with no limitation on enrollment size or athletics classification. The division was won by James Madison University and included other NCAA Division I schools such as the University of Michigan (second place) and Iowa State University (10th place).
“This accomplishment is an important step as we build a cheer tradition at RSU,” said coach Stacy Parish, who competed at the national tournament when she cheered at Oklahoma State University. “This experience will really open the team’s eyes to a whole new world of cheer they didn’t know was out there.”
Their performance at nationals was a 2 minutes and 15 second routine of fast paced displays of tumbling, stunting, dance and motions choreographed to music. Teams are judged on degree of difficulty, perfection of routine and overall impression.
The RSU team qualified for the national tournament last summer by winning one of four gold bids that was awarded at the NCA cheerleading camp they attended at Northwest Missouri State. Parish said they will attend the same camp this summer and hope to secure a bid to next year’s national competition.
John “Turbo” Borzok, owner of All Star Legends cheer gym, served as the national routine choreographer and coach.
Cheerleaders who participated are (listed by hometown):
- Claremore: Denise Belcher, Phillip Evans, Corey Feeney, Lindsay Howe, Tori Kaase, Cori Kinnebrew, Drew Moore and Saressa Worley
- Inola: Heather Mayo, Kylie Price
- Moore: Joelle Kenney
- Owasso: Ryan Hayes, Sarah Plunkett
- Pawhuska: Jamee Miller
- Ponca City: Brian Kirby (mascot)
- Pryor: Kylie Dent, Hailey Weaver
- Wichita, Kan.: Titus Massey